Supreme Court Rules

First Adopted: May 14, 1985

Most Recently Effective: May 01, 2019

Rule 37 | Statutory and Ordinance Violations and Violation Bureaus

37.06 | Definitions

Whenever in this Rule 37 the following terms are used, they mean the following:

(a) “Animal control violation,” any violation of an ordinance relating to the care or control of any animal;

(b) “Clerk,” any duly appointed court clerk or court administrator or any deputy or division court clerk serving courts to which this Rule 37 applies;

(c) "Committee," a committee consisting of judges appointed by this Court to establish the uniform fine schedule for Rule 37 violations bureaus;

(d) “Corrections official,” a person in control of a detention facility;

(e) “County,” includes the city of St. Louis;

(f) “Court,” a division of the circuit court having jurisdiction to hear ordinance violations;

(g) “Detention facility,” any jail, workhouse, lockup or other facility normally operated to hold sentenced offenders or that is used to confine adults awaiting trial;

(h) “Housing violation,” any violation of an ordinance relating to the condition or maintenance of residential buildings and residential real property;

(i) “Law,” includes constitutions, statutes, ordinances, judicial decisions and this Rule 37;

(j) "Local violations bureau," a violations bureau established by court order pursuant to Rule 37.49 of this Court;

(k) "Missouri charge code," as defined by section 43.500, RSMo;

(l) “Municipal division,” any division of the circuit court presided over by a judge having original jurisdiction to hear and determine municipal ordinance violations;

(m) “Municipality,” includes all charter, first, second, third and fourth class cities, towns and villages;

(n) “Ordinance,” a law enacted by a municipality or county;

(o) “Peace Officer,” includes police officers, members of the state highway patrol, sheriffs, marshals, constables, and their deputies;

(p) “Person,” includes corporations;

(q) “Prosecutor,” any attorney or counselor who represents any county, city, town, or village in the prosecution of a person for a violation of an ordinance;

(r) “Traffic violation,” any violation of an ordinance relating to the control of traffic;

(s) “Violation,” any ordinance violation within the jurisdiction of any court to which this Rule 37 applies.


(Adopted May 14, 1985, effective January 1, 1986. Amended December 18, 1998, effective January 1, 2000; amended December 23, 2003, effective July 1, 2004; amended October 15, 2018, effective May 1, 2019.)
Back to top